Liquid compositions, particularly aqueous detergent compositions comprising appreciable amounts of surfactants may be difficult to formulate, given their tendency to split into two or more phases, such as one or more surfactant-rich phases and a water-rich phase. Further technical difficulties may arise when particulate matter is to be suspended in surfactant-containing liquid compositions as the particulates may have a tendency to rise to the top or to settle to the bottom of the composition over time. Yet consumers delight in fluid detergents offering stabilized particulate materials which can deliver cleaning performance, fabric care benefits, appearance benefits, and/or visual or aesthetic cues. Crystallizable glycerides including hydrogenated castor oil (HCO, Thixcin R®, castor wax, trihydroxystearin) has been used as a rheology-modifying agent or external structurant for many years. When crystallized to fiber/thread—like crystals, HCO can stabilize liquid compositions and prevent separation from the liquid phase or prevent coagulation of liquid crystals or suspended particles.
Aqueous laundry detergent compositions which are stabilized through the use of external structuring system(s) (ESS) comprising hydroxyl-containing stabilizers have been described in the past. The ESS is added to the detergent composition to obtain desired finished product rheology and structuring. However, ESS(s) always contain relatively high quantities of water, and therefore, this feature may be undesired in the final product, especially when ESS is added into the laundry detergent compositions which requires low water quantites. Therefore, there is need for improve ESS to provide effective structuring properties.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide process to prepare an ESSs suitable for detergent compositions to provide improved structuring ability.
It has now been discovered that the above mentioned objective can be met by using combination of crystallizable glyceride(s), anionic surfactant and packing parameter adjusting agent in the ESS.